Evanescent Shadows
by Milk Ocean
Summary: Cold as ice, hard as stone, and jaded by time--the lord of Shu took his blows in quiet solitude... but someone is watching over him, and seeks to draw him out of regret's shadows. Zhuge x OC fan fic. Chapter 1 edited! chapters under repair. Please R
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

A loud clamor of pots and pans soared above the noise of the usual busy and not to mention, very noisy market as a group of children crashed against a stack of them, causing the poor peddler to curse in a fit as they ran after a little girl clad in loose worn-out garments.

The young girl scampered across the crowded streets of the town, clumsily bumping into adults who went about their business as she uttered a quick apology and continued to run, hoping to get the older children out of her trail. She quickly glanced behind her; squinting through her dark chestnut hair sprayed messily across her face as the wind rushed past the loose unkempt strands. She turned sharply to the street at her left with fewer people to bump into and continued running like a feeble prey attempting to escape the jaws of its predator—gasping for breath as exhaustion finally started to catch up with her.

To her relief, when she looked back, they were no longer in sight. She swallowed air in gallons and wiped the sweat that dripped off her face. Her stomach grumbled, reminding her that she had not eaten anything but a measly piece of steamed rice cake that she bought after running errands the whole day under the scorching heat of a merciless sun.

Suddenly, as the girl exhaustedly started off back to the central plaza, a voice from afar bellowed: "There she is!" She caught sight of the familiar group of bullies that she had been running away from and instinctively, darted off towards the opposite direction for another chase. But before she could get away, it was already too late. The children caught up and surrounded her, and the biggest among the five bullies roughly picked her up by the collar of her clothing and taunted, "You little rascal. You think you can run away?" and threw her down into the dirt as he would a helpless kitten.

The girl scrambled up to her feet, her worn-out wooden slippers scratching the ground.

"Get away from me!" She cried out desperately, only to be answered with a painful kick to her stomach. She fell to her knees—clutching her belly as she drew a sharp breath. She would have screamed in agony, but the words were jammed up her throat.

It was followed with another kick, and no sooner did she collapse; feeling the coarse burning dust against her cheek…

* * *

_If it is fate, it will happen…_ he thought. The Master Strategist fixed a contemplative gaze upon the flickering flame that seemingly danced to the command of the evening wind of Shanggui hills. Alone in his tent, as he often preferred, he reviewed once more the positions of his soldiers when they commence attack at the break of dawn.

There can be absolutely no room for error.

His somber eyes that matched his long ebony mane traced an imaginary path that his army would take as he predicted the vision of horrid images of oncoming warfare. Already, from this desolate space he could hear the sounds of metal clashing against metal and the ominous cries of pain that he had so long witnessed since the beginning of the war he hoped to end—and he would do everything in his power to do so. And tomorrow will be part of the long grueling process of it.

Tomorrow… the word played in his mind repeatedly. Upon him was the burden of leading an army that depended on him to come up of the most radical ways to measure up against a foe, far stronger and greater in number than they were. Concerning 'how'—it required storming heaven for answers. But that was for others_._

He was Zhuge Liang… The Master Strategist of Shu. Known for making the impossible… inexplicably possible;bending circumstances according to his will in more often, unconventional ways; earning him the befitting title of The Sleeping Dragon, whose silent actions made him a fearsome and dangerous man. And as his name suggests, possessed the dangerous jaws of an unsuspecting behemoth, imprisoned in a shell of a simple Taoist sage, and playing behind the mask of plainness, a man of such inscrutable complexity.

Further heightening his secretive character were the round brooding black eyes that bore into his somber face, and in their coldness could seemingly freeze fire. But in them was also that gracious scholarly light by which his hardened gazes were softened up a bit. Apart from that was the enigmatic charm that laced the unfeeling harshness that he exuded—harshness that had only been painfully etched in his gait by a deep anguish of the past that continued to haunt him, cruelly snatching away from him innate peace.

Hence, night after night he deliberately resorted to immersing himself in whatever work he could grasp, if only to drown away these stirrings of guilt; until shouldering burdens of the kingdom had become simply second-nature.

It might have been pathetic, yes. But that was that. He had at one point morosely accepted things as is, and so allowed himself to comfortably dwell in loneliness. Try as people around him may to object, he remained resolute, laying out before them the living proof of their failed attempts.

The north wind blew into the tent.

"Kongming."

The sound of the familiar nickname whisked the Master away from the deep rivers of thought. He turned his attention to the young man who stood by the entrance of his tent—his illuminated figure created a stark contrast against the night sky behind him.

"Ah, it is you Jiang Wei." Zhuge Liang spoke in a welcoming tone. "What brings you here at this unholy hour?" He sounded much friendlier compared to that usual formal tone he'd use in the royal court.

"I saw the light coming from your tent. It was the only one left lit in the camp. I figured you were worried about tomorrow, sir." Jiang Wei spoke earnestly.

"Perhaps, I am."

"I see no need for you to worry though, my lord. We've been preparing for so long! As a matter of fact, it puzzles me—what took you so long before you finally decided you that we should attack, my lord?"

"We cannot commence attack prematurely, Jiang Wei," Liang scolded gently; deftly picking up his immaculate white feather fan that had been resting on the table. Its silvery hairs shimmered beautifully with a soft orange glow. "If we had immediately pursued offense, we would deplete our very limited supplies. Opportunity is a slippery fish in the sea. If we want to catch it, we have to be prepared and make sure that it will not get away." Zhuge Liang said the last words with such severity. But the words came out more like whispers from a calm breeze.  
"Your intuition truly amazes me my lord." The young apprentice smiled.

A small grin crept unto Zhuge Liang's face, feeling quite self-satisfied at the acknowledgment. Deep down, he still was inexorably confident. Smug perhaps. He had all the reason to be.

"You look very weary, my lord. You must rest."

Zhuge Liang nodded his head in agreement. He was either up so late at night, or he was simply too early for tomorrow—he could no longer tell. He had been pondering about his plans for hours.

"I shall. You should as well, Jiang Wei. It makes me wonder why you have to bother coming here all the way from the west camp."

"Ah, but I am merely concerned, my lord. I hope you still remember your close encounter." His mentor chuckled. As if that instance wherein he fell gravely ill after overexerting himself meant nothing at all. Maybe he had desired it back then, and remembering it now… he found it dryly amusing. Why had he overworked again?

"Yes, of course." He nodded his head in resignation.

"Then please rest now, my lord. You are most essential to our success." Jiang Wei lithely bowed and spinning on his heel, turned to leave the tent. Zhuge Liang watched as the shadow of his apprentice fade. The little space of his tent suddenly felt immense, as if Jiang Wei's presence had swept away the emptiness and upon leaving, let it fill in the hole again.  
And sitting there alone, he felt like the earth beneath his feet was much too vast.

Zhuge Liang stood up and stretched his arms above his head, uncoiling the tension on his shoulders. He drew in a deep breath and in exhaling it, hoped to clear his mind. It was only then that he realized how very tired he was; so tired he would have opted to simply fall asleep over his work like he often did, to just bury his head in his arms until he could feel the cool morning mist brush against his skin.

But he strained to keep his drooping eyelids open and walked out of his bare shelter, escaping for a moment from the vacuum that threatened to suck all that's left of what _she_ had taken away.

The Sleeping Dragon cast a gaze upon the huge bright moon that illuminated the black sky appearing like a queen of the stars. It felt closer than it had ever been—seemingly at arm's length, being a dubitable argument to the one with the knowledge of the stars that it was merely impossible; that the moon would remain beyond reach, eternally distant, just a shining object in the heavens that lay unfathomable by the human mind.

The evening breeze gently blew against the tail of his long overcoat, carrying with it the sweet song of the crickets that hid among the bushes. Resting against his chest was the long white feathers of his beautiful peacock fan, as if to appease the throbbing in his heart. This stillness that brought about memories of pain that remained unhealed by time… How long has it been? Or more accurately, how long has time not passed for him?

On that day that she died—he knew that his entire being had died with her. If not for this war, he would have literally followed her into the afterlife, intentionally or not.

"I hope…" He whispered, though nothing would have heard him. He was talking to the darkness. To an unseen figure. "That you are well where you are now. My wife… Yue Ying."

* * *

Upon returning to the west camp, Jiang Wei decided to stroll around for a while—occasionally greeting the soldiers on their evening shifts. People like him… Warriors… it had become habitual to live on little sleep, keeping vigil with only the stars for company; those silver stones sewn into the silky amethyst skies watching the world like they were guardians of the evening.

It was as if they were the very eyes of heaven themselves.

Jiang Wei closed his eyes and let the cool evening wind sweep away his anxiety, soaking himself in the tranquil silence.

_May heaven protect us all. _

Without warning, sharp frantic calls from atop the watchtowers did not hesitate to shatter the silence.

"A raid! A raid!" a patrol guard screamed, his tone heavy with an unbounded urgency.

A troupe of shadows from afar was rushing at them in incredible haste—systematically. Their movement was precise and well calculated. They were all dressed in black, blending into the darkness of the evening and sprang out like phantoms upon entering the light of the camp.

A flurry of arrows was immediately released by the archers, unsure of where they would land and while the Shu soldiers scrambled about in confusion, the raiders had surprisingly avoided the attack. They barged into the camp, springing out of the shadows like the phantoms they were.

As the other vanguards automatically teemed at the entrance and attempted to ward them off, a second group arrived to back them up, doubling the powerful force that the distraught soldiers feebly tried to counter. Explosives started blowing up here and there—and in an instant, the entire camp had been wrapped in fear.

Jiang Wei immediately sent word to the main camp, calling for reinforcements before dashing into the thick gray clouds of smoke. _This is absolutely reckless and insane!_ He thought._ These raiders…Haven't they figured that I can easily call for reinforcements? _But then he thought better and became rather thankful that these intruders failed to realize that mistake.

And as soon as he arrived, he battered one of the intruders with the butt end of his spear, saving the poor lieutenant who nearly got hacked by the sword of his opponent. Skillfully, Jiang Wei disarmed another couple and nimbly dodged their blows.

It was then that one of the raiders confronted him—the captain perhaps, Jiang Wei guessed. He saw the pair of swords this treacherous enemy held, how the sharp edges glimmered so dangerously in the light of the torches—the points, curving like the cruel talons of a falcon. These weapons… there was something oddly familiar about them.

Jiang Wei found himself staring at an opponent wearing an ashen white mask the shape of a wolf's that stood out against his ensemble of dark clothing; vaguely revealing only half of his face. The carved out eyes bore the same fatal look that one would see in the wild animal, and though he could not see the human eyes that hid behind them, he knew that his opponent was glaring at him, sizing him up, like a lion would before pouncing on his prey.

Suddenly, the masked warrior let out a roar and darted towards Jiang Wei. In a flash he had swung his right hand and delivered a powerful blow. On impulse, Jiang Wei quickly held up his spear in time to protect his self and a loud clash of iron sung.

Their feet both seemed to hover off the ground as they moved about in intense speed, making nimble quick steps as they exchanged attacks. But Jiang Wei sensed something… something odd about his opponent. After years of fighting, he would know if an enemy was eager to dig his sword unto his neck, but this one… there was hesitation that lay behind the animal-like strength that powered the swift strikes.

_Why?_

Jiang Wei was caught by perilous distraction. His foot landed wrongly, creating an opening in his tight defenses. The masked warrior immediately took advantage of the situation, and soon enough he had placed himself behind Jiang Wei, both swords held just a hair strand away from his neck.

"What do you want from me?" Jiang Wei hissed.

"Drop the weapon." The tone was icy and demanding. Chances of escape from him were slim, and so slowly, and hesitantly, Jiang Wei let the iron handle slip off his hands until it dropped to the floor with a loud clatter. It felt humiliating to feel so helpless, but life at the moment was more important than pride.

Where were the reinforcements? He agitatedly thought.

"Soldiers!" the masked warrior bellowed, "Regroup! We got what we need. Let's go!" and just like that, the raiders pushed back the soldiers just enough so that they can escape. One of the masked warrior's men ran towards them, and as carefully planned out as it had been; he pulled out a thick roll of cord and wound it tightly around the hostage.

"I'm not here to kill you, nor kill your men. Just cooperate. I'll explain everything later." The captain said to Jiang Wei hastily.

As soon as the footman secured a knot, the masked warrior sheathed one of his swords and pushed his hostage out into the fields outside the camp where two caravans and a group of horsemen awaited.

The camp faded into the darkness of the night. Jiang Wei knew that it won't be long enough until they find out about his disappearance—and it seemed that his hostage-taker was as well fully aware of it. But there was that clever plan of dividing the group into two and as he felt the cart swerve sharply into another path which he knew, with his natural talent of deduction, would meet up with the other group.

The reigns snapped several times and they sped even faster, into the unknown until the tall beds of swaying cogon grass disappeared behind them.

And while Jiang Wei sat in the thick layers of straw that covered the wooden boards, he found himself staring at the ghastly wolf mask directly in front of him. It was fearsome and very alive, and beautiful in its amazing craftsmanship; further was a certain allure in the smooth curves and depressions that molded the viciousness that the mask conjured.

But what drew his attention most was what lay behind the narrow holes from which the wearer viewed his surroundings. He unconsciously forced himself to see through the veil of darkness.

And what he saw overwhelmed his expectation that it stunned him, shocked him: a pair of dark eyes, disturbingly familiar to him, catching the ethereal glow of the moon.

* * *

Whew! That was some editing. As you see, I've merged the first and second chapter because I thought that they might as well come together to have a more continuous flow to the story. I recently spent a couple of days taking an independent crash-course at trying to improve my writing by burying myself in a pile of novels and short stories that lay around the house. I hope my efforts have not been that desperate. Or are they? Ahahaha.

And so as you've read, I've revealed something I only planned to reveal until later: Yue Ying is dead as far as this fanfic is concerned. Please don't get me wrong, I like Yue Ying--as a matter of fact, I think she's one of the interesting [and often overlooked] characters of DW. But for the purpose of this fic, I'm sorry but she'll have to stay out of the picture--physically, I mean. The fic actually will revolve around an issue with her, so stick around!

I'd appreciate so much if I could receive at least one review to acknowledge my efforts. I swear, reading random books in front of a load of schoolwork isn't very… fun [not while you're attempting to start the new school year right by being more… focused].

So please. Yes, I'm begging you. Leave a review and make me happy :)

Thank you! XDDD

P.S. I'll be doing some editing to the other chapters as well so excuse the weird numberings on the page; just don't pay attention to them. And for the meantime, you may not see any added chapters yet. But I beg that you to please still support me, I want to give my best for this first fic of mine, so I apologize for having posted it in a hurry without further editing stuff. Thank You. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 3**

3rd chapter up! *jumps for joy* but, I'm afraid that I can't jump into Zhuge Liang's scene just yet… I'm really sorry! *bows head* I promise that it'll all begin with Chapter 4. He'll meet _her. _Yes he will.

* * *

Silver rays from a ripe full moon brought pulsating life to the dead shadows, guiding the band of what Jiangwei initially assumed to be raiders into the dense forests of Shanggui. The ethereal light peered through the looming branches of massive trees—their leaves nearly blocking out the sky.

They struggled on, past a series of winding roads and rocky pathways that were unfamiliar to him. But he barely paid attention to where they were going as his eyes were fixed on this peculiar captain of this equally peculiar group of men. Something told him that this band of mysterious people weren't really Wei troops, but then, who else would benefit from a plan to kidnap a Shu general? And there operation was so carefully calculated too.

Jiangwei had stared at the masked warrior, saw his eyes for a second, but they instantly faded away into the evening darkness and so he quietly tried to convince his self that he was likely dreaming when he thought those eyes looked strikingly familiar.

He glanced upon the captain's comrades; their heads horrifyingly seemed to float in the darkness appearing bodiless as their black garments mixed into the night. Then he turned his gaze upon the captain again and saw nothing but the striking whiteness of his mask and the black accents that added the slightest decoration to it. And then he watched as the captain had finally sheathed his gleaming sword.

This masked warrior… he felt something strange about him. The familiar brown eyes that he had caught a glimpse of made his mind fade into a series of jumbled unclear fragments of memories even as he told himself that it couldn't possibly be that person he was thinking of. Pictures played in his mind, but they all came together in a collection of incoherent bits and pieces. It felt like attempting to distinguish the call of a single nightingale amidst a thousand more cawing all at the same time.

A cold silence lingered among them. Only the thundering hooves of the horses that beat the ground provided some considerable amount of noise.

It was then that Jiangwei felt that tugging curiosity that had been racking his head drive him to break the silence.

"You haven't answered my question," he blurted out, trying to lace his tone with some authority. "What do you want from me? Do you think if you hold me hostage, Zhuge Liang will cease his attack?" He saw the row of men sitting beside the masked warrior exchange glances.

Then, Jiangwei saw the white figure stir, and then he heard him speak.

"On the contrary, we took you because we want to help your commander win this battle." The answer came flatly simple.

"What?" He was perplexed. "Are you defectors then?"

"You can put it that way." There was casualness to the way the captain spoke. It was puzzling for Jiangwei, hearing such warmth behind a grimly menacing mask, making him was almost frightening. It made this mysterious figure dangerously unpredictable, and for a moment Jiangwei wondered why he had earlier on felt compelled to trust this man.

"I do not understand."

"Oh you will, when we get there."

"Where exactly?"

The captain looked out from the entrance of the caravan.

"We're here."

And quietly, they all got down from the caravan. Jiangwei struggled to get up with the ropes tied around him.

"Oh, sorry." The masked warrior uttered without much thought when he finally noticed and helped Jiangwei get down.

"I'll untie you," he spoke, more seriously this time "in one condition: you'll have to cooperate with me. If you don't, I swear you'll have the rest of your body looking for your head."

Jiangwei stared at the captain for a moment, doubtful about whether to trust him again or not. The captain sensed the hesitation in his captive's silence.

"Look, there's no where to run and I'm no bad guy either," he said, "I figured this would be the only way to get a Shu general like you to come with me without taking me for some spy. With Shu's small number, I bet you could use some help and likewise we need your help as well. Now please… Just trust me." There was a desperate call for help in his words despite the slight harshness to them.

"Jiangwei."

Jiangwei froze. There was a ring on how he said it. Why did he know his name? Surely, he wasn't that well-known enough.

And soon, as he stood dumbfounded there, he felt the ropes loosen like a snake uncoiling around him and felt the air around his arms and waist flow freely again. He could finally breathe easier.

"Follow me."

It was only then that Jiangwei realized that he had been standing in front of the Shanggui fort's towering walls that protected the small town within it.

They crept quietly towards the massive iron gates that guarded the entrance. Jiangwei caught sight of one of the men with them signaling to another man on the watchtower and shortly, ladders were lowered and they climbed up a couple of feet off the ground.

As Jiangwei pulled himself up the ladder, the sound of his name spoken was resonating like the deep tolls of temple bells. _Jiangwei…_ it kept repeating itself, bouncing off the walls of his head and for a moment, his own name sounded foreign to him. He felt his consciousness go away, leaving his body moving mechanically. It was as if he was drifting afar, and he was merely watching himself from a distance climbing that ladder.

A wave of lightheadedness overcame him and he snapped back to reality as his fingers nearly slipped off the handles. The ladder swerved precariously to his weight but fortunately, it was balanced back in place by one of the captain's comrades who had supported it from below.

"Are you okay?" He heard again that voice in his head that had been haunting him. It was coming from below.

"I'm… I'm fine. I'm sorry."

"You should be. You nearly got all of us killed." But it was all in a biting jest.

They struggled up and finally arrived at the other side. The walls were structured to have a narrow roofed pathway on top of it that allowed more scope of the land and led to the either watchtowers that stood on both ends of it. They descended the stairs and stealthily passed through a couple of narrow streets and alleys to avoid the other Wei soldiers that were on patrol. Jiangwei saw far at his left a large mansion standing proudly, regally, which he guessed to be the governor's house—and probably where the mortal enemy Sima Yi was currently staying. Intricately carved statues of fierce dragons guarded the entrance to it along with another handful of Wei soldiers on patrol.

They entered a back entrance of a tavern. The captain led Jiangwei into one room and gave an order that they be completely left alone.

"Have a seat," the captain gestured to an empty chair before a small round table that held a jar of warm wine, lamp, and two drinking glasses.

Jiangwei sat down, but the masked warrior remained standing. The captain approached the table and took the jar on top of it and poured some into his glass. A clear liquid streamed from its mouth and glistened with the fire from the lamp.

Jiangwei could finally observe in full detail just what exactly did his captor look like. He saw the length of chestnut hair that flowed from behind the mask and tied up in a neat braid and wisps of it that fell over the mask. Then his eyes traced the long black cloak that draped over the masked warrior's shoulders and hung at the calf of his leg braces. Under the cloak, Jiangwei spotted the dark blue armor around the captain's torso—the design was only minimal like the wolf mask that he wore, limited to only a couple of embossed silver curlicues around it.

Jiangwei watched the masked warrior brought the glass to his lips and downed it all—unaffected by the strong amount of alcohol. Then poured another before heaving a weary sigh.

"Let's see… where do we begin…?" He spoke, as he took a few steps before leaning against the wall.

"You can start by explaining to me in detail my purpose in this little plan of yours—and, by explaining to me how you have come to know of my name. Surely, I am not that popular for my name to be known."

The masked warrior prevented laughter from escaping him.

"Funny how you haven't changed in years, Jiangwei," he said, "Still the nerd I know."

At the sound of those words, Jiangwei uncontrollably jolted to his feet, violently pushing the chair back behind him, and by impulse darted towards the masked warrior—he couldn't figure out why he had done so himself, but it seemed a force from his memory had compelled him to move. And it was memory that taunted him to tear that wall of whiteness that shielded him from finding out this man's identity—or no, he did not need to find out. He wanted to _confirm_ his doubts that had been racking his brain from the moment thatthese 'raiders' arrived at his camp, or more accurately, from the moment he heard his name on the lips of this mysterious figure.

He needed to know. He _yearned_ to know. Jiangwei clamped his fingers unto the captain's shoulders, and the captain merely stood there as if he were allowing Jiangwei to do just that.

"Is that you…?" Jiangwei's voice trembled. His face was pale. "Zhang Hou Yi…?"

He stared at this figure before him and he too, just stared at him as well with more calmness. Those hazel eyes Jiangwei knew so well were looking up at him with the unchanging confidence he had known so well for years.

"Bingo." The being he held muttered, and below the mask, Jiangwei saw a smirk appear on his lips.

This man… no, he wasn't a man. This was Hou Yi—his friend and his former comrade... a _woman._

* * *

"What happened here?"

The moment that Zhuge Liang had arrived with his troops, he had immediately begun demanding quick answers to his multitude of questions. How many were injured? When did they arrive? And more importantly, where was Jiangwei? All of them were addressed one by one by a poor novice who was trembling with trauma for his premature exposure to such chaos that had been roused in the camp, and mostly because of the presence of a distressed Sleeping Dragon.

"There was a raid, sir. We couldn't see them from afar because they were all in black." He said gathering all the courage he had in him and tried his darn best not to shake as he spoke.

"Where is Jiangwei then?"

"He… he was kidnapped. They tied him up and took him away."

"Well, why didn't you follow them!" Liang snapped. He was no doubt displeased by this sudden attack.

"The-the raiders… they were firing explosives on their way out. Before the smoke could disperse, they were already gone. They-they had it well planned out sir." The soldier was stammering in fear despite the fact that Zhuge Liang was not even at the peak of his anger yet and still remained relatively calm and composed.

Noticing the tremor in the young man, Zhuge Liang took a slow deep breath for himself, and to hint to the boy that he was calm.

"How many casualties?" He asked finally.

"Surprisingly sir, no one got killed. They were all just slightly… injured." The soldier had begun to wonder himself at the strangeness of it.

"Injured?"

"Yes sir. It was as if the raiders had no solid intention to hurt anything or anyone in particular…"

_Then those aren't simply raiders then…_ Zhuge Liang thought to himself.

"Has anyone else gone missing?"

"None, sir."

Then they were definitely after Jiangwei, Zhuge Liang almost whispered. To hold him hostage perhaps? A string of questions had put the machine-like mind to work as Zhuge Liang attempted to piece the puzzle together. An action as reckless as this couldn't have possibly been thought of by the extremely cautious Sima Yi—he was far too careful, never taking any risks—a trait which Zhuge Liang has exploited for several times already in the period of the war. He knew some of his opponent's weaknesses, but nevertheless had respected him for having cunningly thwarted some of his attacks with his brilliant mind.

But seeing this, it had stirred a tinge of disbelief in him.

Sima Yi had been suffering greatly form numerous criticisms under the Wei court for holding attack on the Shu army; Zhuge Liang had predicted that by now, and there was a great chance that his mortal rival would soon fold. But he never thought that Sima Yi would bring himself down this low as to pursue such carelessness, that all the same, Zhuge Liang had to admit, was done in such speed and stealth.

"General," another soldier approached the Sleeping Dragon, clutching what appeared to be a cylindrical wooden casing in his hand. "The raiders, sir. They left some sort of letter."

The soldier handed it to him and immediately Zhuge Liang took the roll of parchment out of the tube and in unfurling it, gracefully written calligraphy jumped out from the whiteness of the paper—the strokes, uniform and elegant laced with a subtle strength to how they were done, the kind that was commonly seen with those in high positions or maybe born of nobility.

The letter read:

I address this letter to the Prime Minister of Shu:

If you are reading this now, then I assume that you have already found out about the disappearance of your officer, Jiangwei. Indeed, I have him captive as your excellent deduction has most likely guessed. But, I ask no ransom but your personal appearance at the Main Gate of Shanggui Fort and an audience with you on the date you intend to attack. For whatever reason that I have captured Jiangwei, I'm afraid I can only tell you when you arrive. But allow me to share that this raid of sorts wasn't even done with Sima Yi's consent.

As a matter of fact, it is against his plans and ultimately, against him. And you can be assured that this is no trap. Prime Minister, I am not your enemy. And I'll prove that to you, again, on the day that you march forward to commence your attack. I only wish to be able to talk to you, and I would appreciate it if you could grant such simple request.

I encourage you to bring the full force of your army. I will personally be there to escort you on your arrival.

The letter ended with a stamp of deep red ink on a portion of the scroll, saying: 'Zhang'. And as Zhuge Liang absent-mindedly rolled it back again, there appeared slowly, a dim expression on his face. He had furrowed his forehead in deep thought.

This man wishes to talk to him? And for what reason? Although he fully knew that he wasn't going to get any answers at the moment, it puzzled him—the letter, and this 'Zhang' who wrote it—this was absolutely preposterous, and yet it seemed to him that perhaps the man behind this indeed had meant every word.

He claims that he is not my enemy? All the questions roused curiosity from the ever skeptic Zhuge Liang. He waved his magnificent feather fan slowly, languidly, moving it with ease as if he were fanning the embers that lit up his powerful mind; that mind that was his weapon, possessing sharpness more lethal than any blade of the fiercest warrior of Han.

And then, with all eyes of the camp on him, he took a few steps forward in a manner that emanated strength from within him, as if the very gesture he made placed his subordinates inside the unbreakable sphere of his authority.

And then he spoke, his voice was clear and commanding with an unshaken authority that it made the soldiers felt assured and protected by this confident leader before them.

"This does not stop us from our attack. We will proceed as planned. We cannot let this event tonight shake us. This only means that we are getting a step closer to the fulfillment of achieving our aspirations—the dream of the late Lord Liu Bei that he has left with us: to revive the peace that once governed the land under the name of Shu.

"We will press forward, even if the obstacles ahead are becoming bigger and greater than we could ever imagine. Because that is simply part of conquering the mountain. We cannot grow weary, and we cannot falter, because we are strong. And we will continue to prove it to the Wei army and all who seek to challenge us.

"Now, rest. Gather as much strength as you can. Rest now because tomorrow we will not stop until we tear down everything that inhibits us from gaining more and more of that peace that we yearn to have!

"And… I pray… that you will all help me with this burden that I carry with me. For it is only by your trust and cooperation that we can all endure this."

And once he ended, there was a brief somber moment of silence.

Suddenly, one of the soldiers suddenly broke into a powerful stomping of his foot, followed by another until everyone had suddenly been transformed into one living being of sound—expressing their trust and assurance that they will all be behind him—the now humbled Sleeping Dragon.

And as the cheers rang in Zhuge Liang's ears, a thin smile appeared in his face. These men that Liu Bei had rallied together… they were now relying on him to lead them to victory.

Then he thought of the letter again. _Escort…_ did Zhang mean to help them by saying this? And Jiangwei was there. And it seemed that he would not be hurt by his captor. And this man had outright declared that he was defying Sima Yi.

Maybe… just maybe… he could perhaps trust him. And he would appear there—not necessarily for Jiangwei, but to satisfy his curiosity. Who is this Zhang? And what did he want from him that he resorted to do all this?

* * *

Okay, third chapter done! Yeah, it's a little boring, I know. But chapter 4! I swear! It all begins **there. **I really really promise you that, so please hold on a little longer. And do leave a review to inspire me to continue :) Thank you!

-Milk Ocean


	3. Chapter 3

Okay. So there's good news, and there's a sorta' kind of bad news. The bad news is: I lied about Zhuge Liang appearing in Chapter 4 [I am so bad… *hits head*]. BUT. The good news is: I've already added Chapter 5. I just decided to extend to one more chapter so that Chapter 4 won't be a little too heavy. I hope that's fair enough for everyone. So basically chapter 5 is just a portion of chapter 4 [then does that mean I haven't really broken my promise?] Anyway, thank you for reading!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

The frail beaten up girl curled up tightly as blows rained and lashed against her back, accompanied by countless words of mockery and obnoxious profanities. Even as tears of pain had begun stinging her brown orbs, she held them back and refused to cry.

Her body had numbed towards the pain, but every bash that she suffered was only beginning to stir rage within her. Can't anyone come to help her? Didn't anyone care?

But she knew fully well that no one did.

And so with one hand to her belly, the little girl used her other hand to scrape the dust, her tiny fingers desperately trying to find something… something to save her.

But before she could grasp for even an infinitesimal sign of hope, a sharp kick to her side caused her to collapse completely. And for that second that she lay there helpless, she felt that her purse; those precious coins that she had toiled all day for, were snatched away from her pocket.

_No! No! No!_ She wanted to scream, but her voice was drowned in pain as she struggled to get up again. Just then, only a little beyond her reach, she caught sight of something.

A rock.

A rough jagged rock the size of a fist that was enough to fuel her determination and make it explode into a blazing fire of that childish yearning for revenge. It was the hope that she needed. And it was there, lying just a few inches away.

With the passion of a warrior flowing through the veins of an innocent young girl, she crawled towards the rock and willed herself to get up. Her trembling knees obeyed her and by some miracle felt filled with power.

She turned to the thieves that were walking away and slowly approached them. Determination superseded pain as she took careful silent steps towards the tallest and the largest of the bullies who haughtily tossed her treasured purse in his hands. She was a tiger judging distance before lunging in into its prey.

Then, putting her right foot behind her, she bent backward like a graceful stalk of bamboo and in fluid motion powerfully lurched forward, throwing all of her weight as she propelled all of the force that she could muster into the release of the stone.

The stone shot rapidly through the air, and with perfect aim, dug lethally into the skull of the unaware boy. The young girl saw the purse fall to the ground—along with the thief—just as if he were a mighty tree chopped down.

The little girl felt dazed as she slowly walked up to the bleeding being in front of her. She couldn't even care about the curious or even bewildered eyes that were on her that had done nothing but merely act as onlookers while she had been laying there almost dead. She didn't even notice the other older children's horrified expressions as they ran away in utter cowardice, witnessing how a little girl could commit something far more dreadful than they have ever done in their life of felony.

The townspeople were well aware of the nameless youth's misdeeds that it was even a relief that he was dead for lot of them had already been victims of his crimes. Such wasted life, they would say. And he would always get away with it.

But his blood tainting the hands of a child… that was something else.

The girl stood there, staring at the stream of blood oozing from where the stone had hit him and nonchalantly, picked up her purse. But she was still overcome with shock, and it was shock that led her to act as if she could not feel anything. Not even the patches of awful bruises all around her thin body.

It was then that a tall figure shadowed over her. She thought it was probably an officer and he had obviously come to make her pay for her crime.

But instead, it was a stranger. A young man dressed in traveler's clothing with a wide bamboo-woven hat over his head.

"Come, child." His deep voice was calm and soothing. His words came like cool water that gently washed away her anxiety.

"I… I killed him." She whispered weakly. But the man didn't seem to hear those words as he bent down and fished out a clean handkerchief from the pocket inside his thick weathered coat, wiping off the oozing blood from her little nose.

"What a mess you've put yourself in." The man simply replied.

* * *

Zhang Hou Yi.

Jiang Wei found himself still staring at the masked warrior, even after hearing the short word of confirmation. An awkward silence lingered between them. It was as if they were both just anticipating someone to make a move. The masked warrior didn't even stir as Jiang Wei's fingers remained tightly clamped on his shoulders, seemingly slowly starting to cut off circulation in them. Beyond the white veil and the smug expression was only a being of infinite silence.

Jiang Wei involuntarily stepped backward, releasing his tight grip round him.

_Is that really… you?_

Deep in his heart he knew that this person was indeed Hou Yi—but why wasn't she speaking? In the ocean of his intense belief came the tiny and yet powerful voice of doubt.

It was then that this doubt had been completely silenced when he finally saw the masked warrior begin to move. Jiang Wei watched as the masked warrior tilt his head forward, and in one smooth motion, loosened the ribbon that bound his identity. He had let the object slide off his rich dark chestnut head and drop with a loud clunk against the hard wooden floor.

Slowly, he raised his same earth-toned orbs and placed his naturally youthful vibrant gaze upon Jiang Wei. What met Jiang Wei was the familiar charming beauty that had remained almost the same as he had known it. The beauty of a _woman._

Hou Yi… Jiang Wei nearly said aloud. Yes it was her. That unmistakable charm in the graceful contours of her creamy white face and the pink lips he remembered, this woman whose beauty has been further heightened by maturity. Four years have passed since she left the Wei army, and now she has returned. A ghost. A lovely ghost of Jiang Wei's memory, but like any living mortal had aged—but she had aged with beauty, and Jiang Wei guessed that she was now already twenty-three.

But lithe and youthful as she appeared to be, there was still that tinge of life's sorrows hidden in her small almond-shaped eyes. But Jiang Wei knew that he'd be a fool to extend pity to a woman so proud and stubborn. This woman who scorned pity above all things. He had accidentally slipped into showing it once, and paid the price of having to stomach an angry litany of reasons why Hou Yi despised pity so much and how she almost hated him for having just given her that.

"Hey." Hou Yi uttered. She had spoken as if she were a man. Jiang Wei remembered too that Hou Yi was far from being feminine despite her features. She was innately rough; tomboyish even—adding a more convincing touch to her role-play of a male warrior.

Hou Yi tilted her head side to side as is she was surveying some sort of specimen in front of her.

"Hello? Jiang Wei…?"

"Oh. Oh! I'm sorry," Jiang Wei replied, finally swimming out of his river of thought. "It's just that… it's almost as if it were a dream to see you again."

"Jeez. Nothing's changed Jiang Wei! If you're still dreaming, then I'm afraid you'll have to wake up now because I need to tell you something pretty important. I haven't gone through all that trouble for just a reunion you know."

"Something important?" Jiang Wei sounded a little too surprised.

"Yes, now sit."

As soon as Jiang Wei sat down, Hou Yi pulled the chair across him and sat down as well, pouring another cup of wine for herself.

"Care for a drink before I begin?" Hou Yi offered.

Jiang Wei held out his cup and nimbly, Hou Yi tipped the mouth of the warm wine jar and filled the cup just enough before it reached the rim. Jiang Wei downed the drink as Hou Yi had done earlier and set the cup down.

"Alright, let's get started," Hou Yi said as she took a deep breath. "First and foremost, I bet you're wondering why I did that raid a while ago. So, allow me to explain. You see, I needed your help to get the attention of your commander and…"

"You mean, Zhuge Liang?"

"Yes. Sima Yi's favorite enemy," she continued. "And as I was saying, since he personally planned to get you into his service, I knew at once that you were my closest link to him. So when I found out that Shu was out to conquer Shanggui, I immediately set out orders to my men to confirm if you would be joining him."

"And you found out that I did. What were you hoping to achieve?" Jiang Wei was beginning to listen intently. Hou Yi paused for a moment and sighed.

"I thought you had a good reason why you joined forces with him so I wanted to find out what that was. And I'm guessing this Zhuge Liang is a little more honorable than the Sima Yi we love so much." Hou Yi had spoken the last line with bitter sarcasm as she poured herself a cup of wine. Jiang Wei knew what she was talking about. It was the reason that drove Hou Yi to leave Wei and the memory of it caused hatred to seethe in her heart like deadly poison.

"Which is why," Hou Yi went on, acting perfectly calm, "I created a commotion in your camp and on purposely left the way open for you to call for reinforcements. I ordered the soldiers to make sure that no one would get hurt and simply disarm your men. I think they did things properly. I just wanted to make sure that Zhuge Liang was rattled enough and got the message. And since I have you 'hostage' here with me, I'm hoping that he'd take the bait and personally come here."

"What do you intend for him to do?"

"Simple. I want to give him Shanggui."

Jiang Wei's eyes widened with astonishment.

"What?!" he exclaimed.

"I'm giving away Shanggui to him."

"I don't get it Hou Yi! How could you possibly do that? This city isn't even…"

"Mine? Oh, but I have power over the city gates didn't you notice that? That's why before we escaped; I left a letter for your commander to bring the full force of his army on the day that you attack. I think it'd be a pleasure to see the look on Sima Yi's face if he found out that his plans will be completely ruined. Let's say it's only one of the things I could do to get back at him."

"Which reminds me," Hou Yi said slowly, "when _will_ you attack?"

Jiang Wei returned the question with a blank expression as he reached out for the wine jar. He poured himself another drink, but this time, he had only taken a sip as the earthen cup touched his lips. And when the warm wine had slithered down his throat it was only then that he gave his answer.

"Tomorrow."

Hou Yi's forehead furrowed and her smile instantly faded into a serious frown.

"Are you kidding me…?"

Jiang Wei took another sip and shot a glance at Hou Yi. His silence was enough to confirm it. But to his surprise, Hou Yi's frown quickly shifted to a delighted smile.

"Well, what a pleasant surprise. That means I wouldn't have to wait too long will now, will I?" She chuckled as she tipped her chair backward with her weight, lifting her feet unto the table and stretched her legs out until she appeared perfectly slanted backward. Jiang Wei's raised a brow, still feeling pretty much awkward at the sight of a woman acting so ruggedly.

There was a period of silence again. Jiang Wei looked at Hou Yi as she took a sip from her cup.

"Hou Yi," he said, "does that mean you'll join the Shu army? Or does it end in just giving Shanggui to Shu?"

Hou Yi paused to think for a moment before she could answer.

"I don't know. It depends really." She replied.

"Depends on what?"

"First, it'll depend if I can trust your leader."

"He's absolutely trustworthy, Hou Yi!" Jiang Wei was suddenly ecstatic. "He is a remarkable person, you must believe me. I work closely with him."

Hou Yi watched the lit expression on Jiang Wei's face.

"Well, you make it seem so. But then, there's the other thing… It'll also depend if he can trust a person like me who caused a ruckus in his beloved camp. He'll probably think that this is just one very complicated tactic of Sima Yi."

Jiang Wei thought about it. Hou Yi was right; Zhuge Liang was not the type to trust a person at once. He remembered how the Sleeping Dragon objected Liu Bei when he wanted Wei Yan to join him, saying that it was too much of a risk. But Liu Bei's great benevolence prevailed, proving with graciousness that Zhuge Liang could be wrong about certain things, and Zhuge Liang, in turn, accepted his mistake humbly like a true loyal minister to his lord.

"Perhaps," Jiang Wei said, "I can convince him to allow you. As long as you do nothing wrong and prove that you're an excellent soldier, I believe I can vouch for you."

"You'd do that?"

"Just don't do anything wrong. My honor is at stake here, can I trust you with that, Hou Yi?"

"Jiang Wei, I'd do anything for the sake of our friendship. You're not thinking that I'll ruin you in front of your master now are you? And besides, I don't think it's really necessary. I'll show him what I'm capable of in my own way." Hou Yi said with a confident grin.

"Well, I just wanted your word on that." Jiang Wei bowed his head, somewhat a little embarrassed for having expressed doubt at a friend he had not seen in years.

"Anyway," Hou Yi sighed as she bet forward and plopped her feet down, "get some rest. There's a room at the left when you get out of this room. I'll be at the one across the hallway. Better grab some as much sleep as we can if we don't want to be disgracefully snoozing in front of Zhuge Liang."

"_Prime Minister_ Zhuge Liang, Hou Yi. You'd better get used to calling him that or with some other honorary title now." Jiang Wei added.

"Oh, right," Hou Yi muttered. "It'll come naturally when I see him. Good night, Jiang Wei."

Jiang Wei nodded his head in return. But just before Hou Yi left the room, she remembered to pick up her mask. And as she bent down, her voice was suddenly gentler compared to the robust tone that she had used earlier.

"By the way," she uttered, "I did miss you during those years I was gone."

And then she quietly straightened herself up and left. Jiang Wei smiled.

"I missed you too." He whispered, even if he knew she no longer heard him.

* * *

Chapter 5's next! I'm so excited. Please continue reading! :3


	4. Chapter 4

5 is a magic number! Anyway, as you've probably guessed, the darling heroine [who's apparently not very girly] of our story is Zhang Hou Yi!

There's no romance here yet by the way. As a matter of fact, I personally think that this chapter is a bit boring since they're all just… fighting [make Love! Not War! Support Yaoi! Okay, I'm just shitting here… hahaha. Yes, even if I'm writing a regular pairing here, I am still a fan of shonen~]…

But this is just the beginning. I promise I'll try to do my best to make the next chapters good, so please inspire me with ideas to make this love story a beautiful one. I just can't stop saying thank you for having been patient until now, so thanks again!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

The first streaks of cold solemn sunlight began to seep through the thick blanket of darkness that covered the sleeping hills of Shanggui, while the cool breath of dawn cradled tranquility in her arms. There was the voice of peace in this silence…

But not for long.

A hoard of shadows came marching far away from the Shanggui fortress. And while the city remained in slumber, up on the stone watchtowers were the soldiers of Zhang Hou Yi, along with several other soldiers who were anxiously keeping vigil. But there was a difference between the two groups: one awaited the arrival of an _enemy_; the other, a _guest._ But they were altogether weary, naturally. They have been up all night, and the soldiers, especially those who weren't under Hou Yi, were fervently wishing that the next shift would finally arrive.

But it had already been hours since the assigned period, and their energies were at their very limit. They knew that as long as they were up there, they were serving as the eyes of the army—and they knew that they cannot falter. But they were tired. And the morning fog only made matters worse.

And this made it the perfect chance to launch an attack.

Just then, a loud rumble echoed in the distance, startling the drowsy watchmen. They squinted through the wall of mist but to no avail.

Suddenly, a huge object came soaring through the air in a perfect arc. Their eyes followed the path of the unusual shadow as it flew above their heads until they realized, to their horror—it was a terrifyingly huge boulder, and it crashed violently unto one of the structures within the city walls. A split second later another boulder was mercilessly hurled into the air again, this time, colliding unto the roof of the watchtower, tearing it off. The watchmen shook in fear at the sight of it, their morale instantly crumbled.

The attack had begun.

Hou Yi jolted awake at the first sound of war. She had barely slept, and it would be no surprise if the unholy ruin of morning calm struck fear in her.

But it didn't. In fact, she was almost pleased to hear it coming. What worried her was that the city might be left completely destroyed if this went on, and Hou Yi knew that if she didn't act quickly, Sima Yi's imminent refusal to yield would be the very reason for its destruction. And she will make him yield. The evacuated civilians… Hou Yi did not want to see the people homeless, or at least left with nothing to start rebuilding their lives with.

She got up and pulled on her leather armor over her cotton robe and proceeded to fasten the knots securely and comfortably in place. She had practiced doing this alone for days before returning to Wei as the wolf warrior. She knew that no one else must do it for her or she'll deliberately be exposing her identity. She put on the rest of her garb: boots, arm braces, the belt to which her swords were strapped, and the cloak—all in quick, skillful succession.

And finally… the mask. Before putting it on, Hou Yi decided to savor for a moment the feeling of nakedness; that solemn moment that she need not put on her alternate identity of a fierce and entirely fearless warrior that she knew she fully wasn't. It was as if the mask were a drug that drove her to be able to do anything—anything but act as a normal woman who had the ability to feel weakness.

Hou Yi ran her fingertips over the delicate carvings that formed the frightening deep-set eyes and for an instant, remembered the craftsman whom she first got it from in one of her travels. She felt the little scars that weathered the mask's wooden polished beauty that remained invisible in its whiteness. They were those scars that reflected the months she had spent pretending to fight for an army that she scorned, those wounds that had also left their mark in her heart.

At the sound of a couple of more rumbles, Hou Yi finally tied on her mask and headed towards the door. The moment she stepped out, she was again—the masked wolf warrior. No longer a woman. Not even a man. But just a _warrior._

Jiang Wei was already up when Hou Yi called out to him from outside the sliding door of his room. He too woke up at the first sound of attack and was immediately prepared, his spear in hand. Hou Yi led Jiang Wei to a trapdoor hidden in the kitchen of the desolate tavern. They dropped in and went through a dark dry tunnel with only a lamp as their guide. They could hear the heavy steps that raced above them as they went. The Wei army was on the move.

When they reached the end, they climbed up a ladder and out of another trapdoor to a secret room in the city hall; it was a den full of defectors under the governor's roof, and the governor didn't even have the slightest idea about it. A little over a hundred renegades were rallied together by Hou Yi during the evacuation period and sent word that they go there in the meeting room last night. And even as chaos went about in and out of the city, in that hiding place they remained calm and awaited Hou Yi—or Zhang, as she was known to them.

And just as soon as they saw the trapdoor swing open and spotted Hou Yi's dark chestnut head surface from the opening, an old man immediately held out his hand and helped her up, while two more young men lifted Jiang Wei.

Straightening up, Hou Yi's eyes, hidden behind the mask, surveyed the men—young and old, soldiers and peasants, carrying swords and spears in their hands. These people have families, she knew that, and yet they were willing to die just so they could taste that promise of a benevolent rule that Shu upheld, or at least earn it for their wives and children who waited fearfully if they were to return.

"Men," Hou Yi began, putting as much strength and power that she could in her voice, "The day has come. You've come quite far in risking everything into doing this. But I can't and I won't promise you anything. Because all I can ever do is just tell you what to do without the assurance that it will go as perfectly as we wish it to."

"Instead," she continued, "I'll have to ask you to promise to yourselves that you will do everything that you can to prepare the way for our new ruler. Remember how your useless governor stole the grain from your barnyards and left nothing for your family to eat to satisfy his greed. Blacksmith Luo," she said, turning to a huge hefty man wielding an axe over his shoulder, "remember how the governor demanded you to make twenty swords for his army and never paid you for it?" the man frowned angrily and nodded his head.

"So to you, and to all of you who were victims of the governor's wickedness, now is the time to seize the power from him that should have been used to make you richer not poorer."

Jiang Wei was amazed at Hou Yi's speaking skills and could already imagine the fire in her hidden eyes as she spoke. Never in his life had imagined that Hou Yi could be the leader that she was now, and was anxious to find out the plans they have prepared.

"People of Shanggui… This city… is now yours!"

* * *

The group of men swarmed the city hall and divided themselves into groups as planned. Two groups remained in the building and fearlessly slew the soldiers that guarded the governor and seized him. The rest, armed with torches in hand, stormed out into the streets where bloody bodies skewered with arrows lay and began fighting the Wei soldiers who were already in utter disarray.

Jiang Wei and Hou Yi meanwhile raced towards the watchtowers, jumping away from the dangerous arrows that plagued the city. They had no time to lose; they needed to end this quickly. Before long, they arrived at the massive wall, now beginning to crumble after suffering from a number of huge boulders.

"Jiang Wei," Hou Yi said quickly. "Go up the watchtower, take up a Wei flag and burn it. Make sure they can see it. After I open the gate, I want you to go to immediately go to Zhuge Liang, all right?"

"Oh, and by the way," she added shortly before Jiang Wei left, "from now on, you'll have to refer to me as Zhang. Never ever use my real name in front of anyone okay? Pretend that I'm a man now."

Jiang Wei nodded his head in understanding and immediately headed towards the flight of stairs, beating anyone in his way with a powerful strike of his spear. He knew that Hou Yi, with her excellent skill with the sword can do fine job protecting herself.

Below, Hou Yi shot a glance towards the large sealed gates that were starting to yield to the heavy battering rams that charged into them. Then she turned to the Wei catapults that have ceased firing, and she knew that the defectors have accomplished the task of getting rid of the operators.

Then, calling out to Luo, the blacksmith and another number of men, they went to the gate and killed the guards in the way and lowered the bars that sealed them. They were nearly knocked back and moved away just in time before the battering ram swung again. The Shu soldiers, headed by Wei Yan were utterly baffled at what had just happened. But when they saw that the gates were open, the footmen wasted no time and entered the city.

While Zhuge Liang was watching all this at a safe distance behind the catapults, a soldier who had come all the way from the middle of the battle came running towards him. He was shouting something, but Liang could barely hear it, until finally, when the soldier came close enough he heard him shouting a name.

"Commander! General Jiang Wei is here!" And the soldier kept repeating it until he arrived in front of the Sleeping Dragon.

Just then, following closely behind him, was Jiang Wei with a grave look in his eyes as he gasped for breath. He bowed his head quickly and without delay told him what he needed to tell him.

"Prime Minister, I implore you to order a ceasefire at once." he said breathlessly.  
"And why, Jiang Wei? Have you not been held hostage by their troops?" Zhuge Liang feigned not remembering the letter given to him. He first needed to know the truth.

"It is a complete misunderstanding sir. Ho…" But just before Jiang Wei could accidentally say Hou Yi's name, he at once remembered her warning and caught himself just in time.

"I mean—Zhang is a close friend of mine, sir. He has opened the gates and suppressed Wei's defenses by disabling the catapults and rallied defectors to suppress the counterattacks. He released me to tell you this, sir."

Zhuge Liang was quite surprised at hearing this. Jiang Wei would no doubt lie about something this important.

"Very well," Liang uttered.

"Soldier," he said, turning to the man who had run to him awhile ago. "Tell the catapult unit and the archer unit to cease fire. Let the footmen clear the city with any other remaining Wei troops and rally them in front of the city. I shall join them shortly."

The soldier nodded, and bowing his head, left to carry out the Sleeping Dragon's orders. Then, focusing his attention again on Jiang Wei, Liang spoke.

"How have you come to know Zhang?"

"He is a friend of mine when I was still serving in Wei, sir. He turned his back on Wei and wishes to pledge loyalty to Shu." Jiang Wei was slightly feeling uncomfortable about referring to Hou Yi as a man, but he made sure that he didn't show it.

"If he is truly a friend of yours, why attack the camp and kidnap you?"

"It was because he knew that at the period of war, it would be impossible to convince me of his intentions if he had contacted me indirectly. He wanted to personally see me, and thought that was the only way." Jiang Wei tried his best to play down the negativity of Hou Yi's false raid. "I believe no one got seriously hurt, am I right my lord?"

Zhuge Liang raised a brow. How did Jiang Wei know? Perhaps, Zhang was being honest in his letter, and told everything to Jiang Wei. Zhang was using Jiang Wei as a guarantee for his actions. But Liang was still not fully convinced. He needed to see Zhang for himself.

"Bring Zhang to me."

* * *

The full golden glow of the sun finally revealed its glory as it ascended into its azure throne. But as it shone down on the earth, it uncovered the darkness that kept hidden the hideous aftermath of the battle that had occurred. The corpses of the Wei and Shu soldiers, along with the defectors were sprawled on the ground and painted the grounds an ominous crimson. Sima Yi wouldn't like the sound of this and would again, suffer a barrage of criticisms from the Wei court. It would even be worse than the period when he hesitated to be the first to take up arms against Shu for tactical reasons.

Hou Yi surveyed the ravaged city of Shanggui as the eastern winds began to blow—lifting the lonely flags of both Wei and Shu, as if to console them in its embrace. It was that familiar scene again, where she felt so alone even in the midst of other defectors who managed to get through the battle who were now rejoicing. It was as if her soul and her body had become two separate entities, and she was watching herself and the bloody landscape from a distance, clutching her swords tainted with blood.

"Zhang!" The familiar voice yelled from a distance. Jiang Wei took care not to say her name aloud.

When Hou Yi turned around, she spotted Jiang Wei running towards her.

"The Prime Minister wants to see you! I've told explained everything to him, excluding your identity of course, but anyway—he's waiting outside! Go and see him."

It took seconds before Jiang Wei's words finally sank in.

"What?"

"The Prime Minister. He wants to see you."

From behind her mask, Hou Yi's eyes widened with panic.

"Wait! Oh no, do I look all right?" She blurted out.

"Heavens, Hou Yi. You're wearing a mask. How can anyone possibly see how you look?"

"Well…!" She was flushed with embarrassment. Jiang Wei was right. Hou Yi felt silly for her sudden reaction.

"Go on, he might get impatient. I'll be at your side."

And while the defectors were rejoicing, Hou Yi and Jiang Wei stepped out of the city gates where the Shu soldiers stood sharing with those inside, the same ecstatic expression of victory.

And there he stood. The esteemed Master Strategist of Shu, wielding his symbol of power—a beautiful white fan adorned with gold and jewels at its handle. But he appeared a simple man in minimally adorned silk and cotton robes with his long ebony hair flowing over them from his Taoist hat. He was a typical strategist with that typical air of an academe, complete with the mustache and a neat growth of hair under his chin so common among nobility and scholars.

But what caught Hou Yi's attention most was that somberness in his face. It was if he was void of any lightness. Then, she noticed his black eyes studying her—and for a moment she felt uneasy under his scrutinizing gaze. It was almost as if he could just see right through her mask.

"Bow," Jiang Wei nudged Hou Yi discreetly. At once, Hou Yi sheathed her swords and made a swift graceful bow. The gesture seemed to have made things lighter as Zhuge Liang returned it with an approving nod.

"You are Zhang, I presume." He spoke, his deep voice filled with a kind of richness to it.

"Yes, sir."

"And it was you who began the rebellion here in Shanggui?"

"Yes, sir." Hou Yi was hoping that Zhuge Liang would simply stick to asking questions that only required an answer of yes or no. But she kept her cool, and remained stoic as what felt more like an interrogation rather than a conversation went on.

Just then, Hou Yi was surprised when she caught an almost smugly amused smile creep into the Sleeping Dragon's seemingly serious face.

"Interesting." Liang said as he took a step forward, inching closer to Hou Yi. But Hou Yi simply stood still, never showing any signs of flinching. Why would I flinch? She said to herself. She was more arrogant than anyone can get, and she wouldn't allow anyone, not even a Prime Minister of a kingdom to intimidate her.

"And what is Shu going to benefit from you, should I allow you into my army?" The question made Hou Yi think twice before answering. She could never tell him of her true intentions of merely using Shu to her advantage for her plans of revenge against Sima Yi. No, she could never directly tell him that.

"Shu," she said with much conviction, "will find itself possessing a warrior who's been through enough to make him wonder and see for himself if this so-called reign of virtue could actually be possible." Hou Yi wondered if Liang may have just gotten the hint in her clever answer. But to Liang, it only seemed that there was a certain determination burning in Hou Yi.

"Do you mean that you doubt that Shu will succeed in its aspirations?"

Hou Yi simply gave a haughty grin of her own. "Prove me wrong then."

The line of soldiers that stood behind Zhuge Liang was shocked at Hou Yi's bold statement. She was talking to a feared man in the army, and yet here she was intrepidly facing him. They wondered if her act was of great courage or plain ignorance.

But instead of being offended, Zhuge Liang was rather amused by her guts that he nearly chuckled as he fanned himself with his grand feather fan. He had not seen such fire in anyone around him for quite a while. And something about the audacity in this warrior caught his interest.

"My, my, such a brave one we have here. I need more people like you in this army." He said as he finally stepped away from her.

"Then does that mean… you're letting Zhang into the army, sir?" Jiang Wei blurted out in his excitement. Although the answer was obvious enough, he wanted to hear it for himself.

"Why certainly, Jiang Wei."

"Let me just remind you that there are renegades here in Shanggui who also want to help out, just in case you're interested." Hou Yi had suddenly dropped all formality as she added in. "I think your tiny army won't mind a little extra help."

"The minister of military affairs will take care of them." Zhuge Liang said shortly, not seeming to mind her less formal speech.

"Well, then… the city's yours," Jiang wei elbowed Hou Yi again, reminding her of her decorum, "…sir. What's next?"

"First, we'll have to clean up the mess here in Shanggui."

"And then?"

"That," he said, somewhat annoyed that someone should question his plans, "is none of your concern at the moment."

Hou Yi was taken aback by his answer and Jiang wei seemed to sense so as he moved to whisper something to her. "I forgot to tell you that he doesn't like being questioned. Don't push it, or you might just find yourself in trouble." But Hou Yi simply laughed.

"You know what? I think I'm going to enjoy my stay here in this army."

The thought of stepping into the same yet unfamiliar ground sparked excitement in Hou Yi. It was still an army, yes—and she would still be fighting. But what made it different for her?

Perhaps, it was the fact that everyone exuded an air of hope. Even behind the coldness in Zhuge Liang, Hou Yi could see that he too expressed hope. And little did she know that it was this hope that would one day, be her light.

* * *

FINALLY. My gosh, 4 chapters before they could finally meet! I feel like I've been wasting so much time babbling about this and that and… *sigh* well that's that. I've finally made up for having failed to update for nearly a month. Oh, and belated happy mother's day to your moms, friends or to you, if you're a mom... [yeah, I know it's pretty TOO late but heck…]

Please do comment, if that's not too hard for you to do. I mean, just a little hi or two just to let me know that someone still does bother to read this fic I'm making. It will help me very much.

See you next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

I've tweaked chapter 5 a bit… although I think you'd barely notice the changes, just a couple of syntax and grammar checking. Anyway, here's Chapter 6! Still a long way to go… this one's not very romantic though, but we'll see a little skirmish between Hou Yi and Zhuge Liang. Let's see who wins. Hehehe.

***By the way, this conquest of Shanggui does exist for those of you who don't know. I thank the internet for being such a handy resource! ^__^ I thought it would be a good setting for my story to take place, but I warn you, there'll be a lot of inaccuracies later on… but heck, this is a fan fic for crying out loud.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Upon entering the city, the Shu soldiers, along with the aid of the renegades cleared the rubble and the dead bodies that littered the grounds as Zhuge Liang had ordered them to. It tore Hou Yi's heart to see the lifeless faces that belonged to the dead bodies of the defectors who so valiantly fought for freedom and have not lived to witness it. She willed herself to brush these emotions away, reminding herself of the truth that this was inevitable, and how these men have sworn to go to the extent of laying down their lives.

But a stinging mist still welled up in her eyes as she stood by what used to be a pottery store, now emptied upon the evacuation of the civilians. She blinked the tears back as soon as she noticed Jiang Wei approaching her.

"Are you all right?" Jiang Wei knew the pain that Hou Yi was feeling at the sight of all this. Hou Yi only nodded her head in reply. She could feel that her voice would break should she have spoken instead.

"I should be used to this by now. This always happens."

"Don't try too hard to shrug it off, Hou Yi." Jiang Wei consoled her. "You're right, it always happens… and every time it does it's always depressing for everyone. You're not alone."

"Thanks, Jiang Wei." Hou Yi smiled sadly.

"By the way, you'd help us conquer the minor forts around the city, right?" Jiang Wei attempted to change the topic, much to Hou Yi's relief as well.

"Of course. I already even have plans in mind, but if your sage-commander has a better idea, we'll probably do that instead. He's the genius after all."

"But you know Shanggui more than we do. The Prime Minister will likely listen to your suggestions."

"I thought he didn't like being questioned?" Hou Yi remembered how the Sleeping Dragon had snapped at her although she wasn't really bothered by it. She thought how Sima Yi's fury had been worse.

"But he is open to ideas. Just say it politely."

"Seems like he's a finer duplicate of Sima Yi," Hou Yi said. "Except he doesn't breathe fire the way Sima Yi does."

"On the contrary, he does and he _will_—when provoked."

"That just means Zhuge Liang almost always provokes Sima Yi then…" Hou Yi sighed amusedly. Jiang Wei laughed.

He followed Hou Yi as they made their way past the soldiers who scurried about carrying stretchers and sacks of debris and entered the tavern again where they saw Zhuge Liang sitting at the table speaking to his secretary.

"Speaking of Sima Yi, where is he anyway? I was rather expecting him to be here leading the defense himself since Shanggui is still somehow an important region." Jiang Wei asked as he turned to Hou Yi. He was puzzled by Hou Yi's unexpected laughter.

"It's a long story. You see, the moment the Wei court heard that Zhuge Liang was going to invade this place, they immediately saw the advantage of this location to Shu and of course, they were panicking after suffering heavily from a lot of loss caused by Zhuge Liang. They immediately demanded that Sima Yi take up arms and drive you off, but Sima Yi insisted otherwise.

"Instead, he argued that to attack would instantly mean failure because their supplies weren't sufficient enough and because their forces were divided to address the Mongols up north who were causing trouble. So Sima Yi simply sketched out a defense plan while he's stuck there convincing the officials, while here you are now successfully invading the main city. But I'll bet he'll try to seize the land back either by hook or by crook as soon as he finds out what happened…"

"Which is why," Zhuge Liang cut in as he walked to them after he finished speaking to his secretary, "we need to move fast if we want to foil his plans." Jiang Wei bowed his head politely as soon as he saw him. Hou Yi followed suit.

"It seems that you know quite a lot about the issues in the Wei court." Zhuge Liang said to Hou Yi.

"I have to. I work there." She replied casually, "well, not anymore." She quickly added.

"So there is pressure from the Wei court on Sima Yi?"

"Yes sir." Time and again Hou Yi tried to remain stoic under Zhuge Liang's notably piercing gaze.

"Then you are right with your calculations, my lord." Jiang Wei recalled Zhuge Liang having mentioned this once to him before they took on the conquest of Shanggui.

"What was your position in the Wei army, Zhang?" Zhuge Liang had randomly asked. Jiang Wei had forgotten to ask the same question to Hou Yi as well.

"I replaced Jiang Wei after he left."

"I was captain of the infantry then, sir." Jiang Wei clarified. _Hou Yi returned to the Wei army, easily climbing up the ranks… _with her excellent skill with combat, Jiang Wei wasn't surprised that she had worked her way up smoothly, even if she had a mysterious identity that no one knew about. She hid the identity of Zhang Hou Yi who left the Wei army without permission, and returned after four years to carry out her revenge against the crimes that this army had done to her.

Hou Yi fatally deceived them all.

"If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go lend a hand to the doctors outside. We saw a good number of wounded men on the way here. They should get treated at once." Hou Yi sensed that Zhuge Liang might be on to finding the truth about her, and she would not risk giving him the chance of cornering her.

Zhang quickly bowed her head, sparing a glance at Jiang Wei and exited the tavern. She thought twice about whether she was really going to go to the wounded, or she'll confine herself somewhere else. But she thought better and headed straight to the hut they passed by a while ago.

Zhuge Liang watched her intently as she left, his forehead ever furrowed in thought. Jiang Wei noticed the expression on his lord's face.

"Has this friend of yours always been wearing a mask?" Zhuge Liang suddenly asked.

"Um… yes sir." Jiang Wei felt uneasy about lying to him. He had only seen Hou Yi wear a mask when she met with him. During the time that he was serving Wei, Hou Yi had been the only female he had seen in the army and she never had to wear a mask and pretend she was a man. "Why do you ask?"

"It is nothing, Jiang Wei. It's just that, aside from hiding his appearance, he seems to be hiding something dark as well." Zhuge Liang said, gently fanning himself. Jiang Wei's eyes widened with fear while he felt his pulse rapidly rise.

"Don't get me wrong. I do not think ill of your friend, for I trust that you will not simply let any traitor of sorts to enter our force. It just intrigues me… what is it that makes this friend of yours desire to see Wei fall?"

"But didn't he already answer that, my lord?" Jiang Wei was trying to appease the Sleeping Dragon's suspicions.

"Yes, but his answer was very vague. His eyes tell me that there's a deep reason behind his words."

"But whatever it is, we can trust that Zhang's actions will always support our cause, my lord." Jiang Wei assured.

_I do hope I am not mistaken…_ Zhuge Liang was still wary of Hou Yi's presence. He wanted to test the extent of this warrior's character. And he would find out who he really was behind the mask, one way or another.

The city was soon cleared by nightfall, and Zhuge Liang had given the night to the men for celebration. This was all, of course, still a tactic to boost the soldiers' morale. The last thing he'd want was a battalion of demoralized and discouraged men.

It was a splendid sight to see the renegades getting along well with the Shu soldiers in their festive exchange of woes and joys over bottles of common rice wine. There was drunken laughter and singing. Everyone seemed to be thankful for an evening's moment of relief.

Such celebrations were always a pleasure for Hou Yi. She loved the sight of merriment and enjoyed drinking like any man. Soon enough, she found herself caught in a drinking contest against Luo, the city blacksmith with a huge stocky build with a square jaw and a hard expression on his face, while here she was with only a light frame and huge pride. Her rational mind told her to back out, but her guts dared her on. She loved a good challenge.

The men merrily cheered both of them on as they were already on their fifth bottle of wine. The amount had not even begun to make Hou Yi feel dizzy yet, and there was Luo beginning to sway uneasily. On the eight, Luo forced himself to finish the quarter of alcohol left but a wave of lightheadedness knocked the lights out of him as he tumbled down in an intoxicated sleep. Hou Yi raised her bottle victoriously as the soldiers and renegades let out drunken praises to her, arrogantly pleased with her win.

They offered her another bottle but Hou Yi knew she had enough. Any more and she'd likely end up the way Luo did as he senselessly lay on the dusty floor. She excused herself from the boisterous crowd—much to their disappointment. But Zhang loosely promised to drink with them again. Although she knew that she should never do if she intended to keep her plans intact.

By this time, Hou Yi felt like her blood had turned into the wine itself as she made her way to the quieter tavern where Jiang Wei and the Sleeping Dragon stayed, slightly feeling her head beginning to spin. She shook her head roughly as if to shake off the dizziness.

She collapsed unto the doorstep, never much bothering to go inside. But Zhuge Liang motioned to Jiang Wei to call her inside.

"Zhang, won't you join us?"

"No thanks." Hou Yi hollered out over the noise of the merrymaking.

"I insist you do," Zhuge Liang added in. Surely, Hou Yi knew it would be impolite to decline a superior's invitation. But in her semi-drunken state… she feared that she may create more insolence than refusing the Sleeping Dragon's offer. But then again, she was a new recruit, and now would be the chance to get into Zhuge Liang's favor if she wanted to remain in the army without receiving suspicions from his eagle eye.

Hou Yi got up feeling much better with a clearer head and walked up to the door and entered the tavern. She bowed and on approaching the table, she noticed something spread out on it amidst the wine jar and the cups. It was a map.

"Strategizing in the middle of a celebration?" Hou Yi blurted out.

"Yes, now do sit down." Zhuge Liang said coldly. Jiang Wei suddenly recalled how Hou Yi had spoken to him in the same manner when they met and found it fairly amusing to see it being done to her. Hou Yi felt faintly unnerved by his unfriendly demeanor.

She pulled a chair beside Jiang Wei and sat across the Sleeping Dragon. Carelessly, she brought her elbows to the table and rested her chin on her palm.

"I would like you to exercise a little more propriety in my presence, Zhang." Zhuge Liang spoke. There was no contempt in his tone, yet it was commanding. And the way he said it made Hou Yi appear like some sort of an uncultured being, much to her resentment. But she kept her cool and simply sat up properly. She was being challenged by this man, she knew that—and she will not give him that luxury of seeing her fold.

"Now, tell me. Do you know when Sima Yi's forces will attack?"

"There are no certain signs of movement yet, sir. But should they begin their march, it will take them roughly five days to arrive here—that is, if they won't be stopping to take a break. You'll still have ample time to…"

"I only asked you to tell me when Sima Yi will attack." Zhuge Liang interrupted.

Jiang Wei shot an uneasy glance at the Sleeping Dragon. He wasn't acting normally. He knew that this man was not the type to treat people as harshly as he was doing now. The young apprentice was deeply perplexed by the sudden change in his mentor's behavior.

"Sorry," Zhang fought back any signs of aggression that began to bubble up in her. "Would you have any other questions, my lord?" she asked, putting on a mask of a polite smile. _You son of a…_she had so much wanted to let out a curse instead.

"Jiang Wei mentioned that you have suggestions in securing the minor forts around the main city. I'd like to hear them."

"Well, I have some of my men in the other forts mixed up with the regular Wei soldiers. They could initiate an attack there from inside like we did while the Shu soldiers attack from the outside, completely confusing the enemy."

"You mean you want the Shu soldiers to accidentally attack these defectors as well in the process? Such a weak and utterly uneducated move."

"What!" Hou Yi roared slamming a fist unto the table, shaking the wine jar and cups in an abrupt clatter. It was clear that Zhuge Liang had meant an attack below the belt, hiding it cleverly behind his criticism of her strategy. The alcohol had begun to weaken the walls that held back Hou Yi's fury, creating fissures and cracks for her rage to seep through as she gritted her teeth, fighting hard to prevent her drunken anger from powering over her.

Zhuge Liang rested the feathers of his fan on his other palm with ease and sharply looked at Hou Yi, staring past the pale mask. He was rather pleased to finally see her true colors emerge from the ashen white veil that concealed her physical identity. He was not interested in this mysterious warrior's appearance; he was more interested in this person's character.

"Shall I tell you why?" He remained very calm as he said this with a smug expression on his face as if to intentionally annoy her—further aggravating the already infuriated Hou Yi. She was getting frustrated at this game they were playing, and Zhuge Liang had not ceased to push her to the losing end.

Jiang Wei watched all this and dared not to let out a single a word. He was caught between a battle of words and the fiery tension had left him speechless.

Meanwhile, Hou Yi took in a deep breath and reminded herself to remain composed. Her blood was boiling. She hoped for this to end before she completely lost control.

"There's no need to my lord. I see the fault in it. That was after all, simply a suggestion," she said with an awkward calm. "I meant no effort in coming up with it since I expect that you sir, will no doubt already have something better in mind."  
"I am humbled by your acknowledgment. It does seem that some things are better left done by those who are more knowledgeable." He answered slyly.

_Humbled?! You call yourself HUMBLED??? _Hou Yi's mind was screaming all the profanities she could think of while she hid with all her might how she absolutely hated or even despised how he appeared to enjoy his power over her. He had her by the neck and one wrong move she would be dismissed from the army—she knew she had to be careful. She needed to see Sima Yi, and even the entire Wei kingdom fall before her very eyes.

But this pretense was agitating her.

"Yes… sir." Hou Yi said through gritted teeth.

Zhuge Liang was amazed at how Zhang was holding up even after his spiteful words. This masked warrior was no doubt determined to stay as he watched how she swallowed his mockery, word for word. He finally reclined into his chair looking more relaxed, as if to break the spell of the choking tension in the room.

How could she endure this? The Sleeping Dragon thought. It amused him that Hou Yi's rage was paralyzed by his authority. This was strangely entertaining him.

Jiang Wei heaved a sigh of relief. Had this gone a little longer he was sure to see a bloody battle between the two, and quite literally it would have been, knowing how Hou Yi's recklessness worsened by alcohol could lead her to doing the unthinkable.

"I suppose we could hear your strategy, my lord?" Jiang Wei stepped in when he felt that there was already a ceasefire.

"Yes, let us begin." The Sleeping Dragon replied casually, as if the heated exchange did not even exist to begin with. Hou Yi unwound her tightly coiled fist in resignation and slowly felt her natural sense of peace return to her. But her eyes, hidden behind her mask still stared intently at the man before her who was now pointing locations at the map and talking to his apprentice.

That eerie calm that emanated from the Sleeping Dragon made him fearfully unpredictable. He had managed to work her up without even the slightest effort. Hou Yi now understood the truth behind his title, and she would be unwise to step into the jaws of a sleeping behemoth—knowing the danger that once it awakened it will not think twice about crushing her.

Unknown to her, Zhuge Liang had plans of using her arrogance and unreleased rage in his tactics. Her unrelenting determination to stay in the army proved to the cunning Prime Minister that Hou Yi will not turn her back on Shu—at least while she still appeared to have some use of this new force she had entered.

Although what exactly that compelled Hou Yi still remained a mystery to the Sleeping Dragon, he knew that he would find her useful. But he still was not contented as to leaving this source of intrigue unanswered. He would one day hear it from her.

He was after all, the famed Zhuge Liang—and his brilliant mind will find ways.

* * *

Poor Hou Yi. Zhuge Liang bullied her. Hahaha… oh well. Why did Hou Yi bite her tongue when she could have at least said something to Zhuge Liang? And what was that driving force that makes her continue to stay? Let's find that out in the succeeding chapters.

Oh, in case you're wondering why I haven't put chapter titles yet… well… I'm still having difficulty coming up with one. I'll probably title the chapters soon.


	6. Chapter 6

Recently, I happened to do an in-depth study of Zhuge Liang's biography [at least, if you could call spending hours frying your eyes out in front of the computer screen surfing the net 'in-depth']. The guy absolutely amazes me. The things he's done, his accomplishments, his pure genius… it makes me feel so unworthy to be twisting his history and all that.

But then, I remembered that the reason I started this fanfic in the first place because I adored his 'awesomeness' [for the lack of a better term…] and found his private life so interesting [someone likes to stick her nose in other people's business] and also because the origin of Huang YueYing's existence was pretty vague—which leaves a lot of room for creativity to set in. But given that, I still don't know how I'm going to end this thing in such a way that it's still convincing. I've been shaking my head for a clever way that's not Mary Sue-ish [which I think is very annoying and yet very tempting to do at the same time]… I hope it dawns upon me soon.

Well anyway, that's that. Just rambling a bit.

**Chapter 7**

Two days after the successful entrance into Shanggui, the Master Strategist of Shu wasted no time and immediately got to work in relentlessly seizing the minor forts around the main city, and finally, securing power over the region. It had appeared to be almost effortless to him as one by one the bastions fell into his hands in a sweeping victory—further pressuring Sima Yi.

It was then that Hou Yi had her first taste of fighting along with the Shu troops, and instantly, she felt completely carried away by the soldiers' fierce loyalty and strength. They had a sense of purpose… the kind that made them face the battlefield with such passion and determination that no army could ever hope to match. Theirs was an uplifting infectious force that hoped to weave itself into every fiber of her being that it made her feel as if she had been fighting for this new kingdom from the beginning. Because of them, Hou Yi nearly never felt any sense of remorse for having deliberately turned her back on Wei

And it was also only then that it began to sink in to her that Zhuge Liang was her commander, and that she had to strictly obey his every word. Now that she was following his strategies, it made her truly marvel at how much of a genius he really was as compared to her days in Wei when there was that pressure to defeat him.

It had become clear to her now. She was not drawing her swords for only herself, but for this kingdom that she must now be compelled to serve.

When the last fort had been conquered, the army returned to the main city again and awaited Zhuge Liang's next instructions. The sudden break from the long battles made the wait feel like an eternity for Hou Yi. She was itching for another encounter. Hou Yi was no bloodthirsty warrior and she certainly found no pleasure in bloodshed, but something about the battlefield lured her to keep fighting. It was not because she simply wanted to prove her strength and skill as a woman (although she is actually proud that she's stronger than most men), or to compete with the other officers (she still ends up defeating more enemies than they do without really trying). She fought because it released the pent-up rage in her. Behind her smiles was a heart full of anger and resentment… disappointments and pain that she'd ever so often try not to focus on. But in every swing of her sword these emotions set themselves free… and Hou Yi would never fail to witness the destructive effects as she finds herself standing amidst the cold corpses of her enemies.

Hou Yi had a stable mind and knew how to exercise control. But like any woman, it was her emotions that often influenced her actions and her drive to fight so viciously.

She was a fatal weapon—and for that reason, when Cao Pi first laid eyes on her, he knew that she should belong to Wei.

But they made a grave mistake of welcoming a ferocious tiger with only a string for a leash. And when they provoked her, her wrath upon them was unstoppable. She left for four years to sharpen her claws and build up her strength. And now she has returned, a masked warrior, deadlier than ever to seek and draw blood from the man that took away the one person that had taught her to live. She could not forgive him—Sima Yi.

And as Zhang…a man, a man who felt neither fear nor weakness, she will take her revenge.

One quiet afternoon, while awaiting Zhuge Liang's instructions, the soldiers took the moment to rest. While some preferred to spend the time cleaning and sharpening their swords with the help of Luo, the city blacksmith, the others simply engaged themselves in conversations about the usual concerns and affairs: their wives, families that they left behind and such. Meanwhile, Hou Yi decided to pay a visit to Luo's workshop—a wide open lot with benches and a large central stone structure in the middle as the main work area—located east of the city plaza.

"Big Bear!" Hou Yi playfully called out as soon as she arrived. She was the only one who used this nickname for him, and it appeared to suit him perfectly because of his bear-like size and large square face with an abundant growth of hair stubbles on his chin. He had big round eyes that shone brightly, and upon seeing Zhang immediately lit up.

"Ah! Zhang, what can I do for you?" Luo's voice was rough, but it greeted her warmly and was accompanied by a friendly smile. He was a huge man with a huge heart to match that often reminded Hou Yi of the sun on a lively spring morning.

"Just the usual. A little cleaning and some sharpening. I think my sword isn't cutting as well as it used to lately."

"Not a problem, Zhang! You're my priority! I'll get my men to work on that first." Luo answered followed by a short hearty laugh. Zhang handed him the two swords and lazily stretched out on one of the benches under a canopy, cushioning her head by placing both hands behind it and closed her eyes—but with no intention of falling asleep. Luo called one of his smiths and gave the pair of swords to them, muttered a couple of instructions, and returned to where Hou Yi rested.

"Hey Zhang." he spoke. "Do you know when that Zhuge Liang will tell us his next move?"

Hou Yi sighed, almost wearily. "Nope. No idea."

"But it's been days!"

"Exactly." Hou Yi said matter-of-factly. "I don't know what the guy's been up to." _And I don't have any plans of finding out for myself._ She could not forget that night wherein she experienced first-hand what it felt like being burned alive by his fiery words. She wondered suddenly if he had ever spoken to Jiang Wei that way. But then she decided to shake away the thoughts from her head, not wanting to be reminded of that blood-boiling incident. She might as well avoid direct confrontation with the Sleeping Dragon lest she be shoved into the fire again.

"According to reports, the Wei army is already heading towards here, but Zhuge Liang doesn't seem to be doing anything. Don't tell anyone what I just told you by the way. We don't want to cause any panic."

"Okay. Oh, since you know him, why don't you go ask him so we can finally know what's going to happen?" Luo was clueless about Hou Yi's unfortunate experience. Hou Yi's eyes opened wide awake.

"Hell no."

"Why? How come?" Luo was innocently puzzled.

"Because. Period." Hou Yi wished he wouldn't probe into it.

"Come on, tell me!" He coaxed her. Hou Yi pictured in her mind a scruffy bear rolling at her feet and then abruptly changing into an image of Zhuge Liang, literally looking like a frightening dragon.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" She fired back, slightly feeling annoyed.

"But you know him more than I do."

"Well, get to know him then! He's not such a bad person…I think." Hou Yi said the last words silently.

"Well if he's not such a bad person why not ask him?"

"Because!" Hou Yi was starting to feel unnerved. _Stop asking!_

"Wait a second…" Luo voice became hushed as he leaned forward to Hou Yi's mask. Hou Yi could feel his heavy breath beating down upon it. "Are you… afraid of him?"

Zhang jolted upright in a sitting position, startling the curious blacksmith. "Afraid? Of course not! Why should I?" it had been a blatant lie.

"That's the question. Why are you?"

"I said I'm not afraid of him!"

"Then ask him now so we can get things cleared up!" Luo's tone sharply rose again. _Goddamn…_ Hou Yi shook her head in disbelief.

"Listen, Big Bear. I just asked you to do me a little favor to polish and sharpen my swords. Since when did grilling become part of your business?"

"Because I want to know what will happen to us next!" His hands were flying in the air.

Exasperated, Zhang finally blurted out, "Fine! Alright! I'll ask him!"

"Sheesh…" she mumbled as she got up.

Just then a familiar figure walked in along accompanied by Jiang Wei. Hou Yi could already feel shivers from the gust of wind that the other man, whom she knew very well, carried.

Hou Yi arose and along with Luo, bowed her head to Zhuge Liang. Liang nodded in turn.

"What brings you here, my lord?" the head blacksmith asked.

"Will it be alright if I could have a word with Zhang for a moment?"

"Ah, yes sir." Before he left, Luo elbowed Hou Yi's side to remind her to ask the Prime Minister. He probably didn't realize how much weight and power he had on his elbow when Hou Yi arched her body to the opposite side, feeling as if he broke every rib in her. She nodded her head reluctantly, briefly gritting her teeth in pain as she placed a hand on where Luo had hit her.

Straightening up, Zhang turned to Zhuge Liang and let him speak first.

"Yes sir? Would you like to sit down?" Hou Yi feigned politeness.

"No need. I will only make this quick." Liang drew a deep breath and said, "First, I'd like to apologize for how unfairly I must have treated you."

Hou Yi almost wanted to guffaw. _I never guessed you were the type to apologize._

"Oh, that's nothing, Jiangjun. I was pretty drunk then anyway." She replied, putting on a fake smile of acceptance. She had decided from that night on that she wasn't going to like him and simply had no other choice but to put up with him. But it felt rather strange that he should ask for forgiveness.

"Good. Second," Zhuge Liang spoke with complete straightforwardness. "I would like to commend you on your early performance in this army. You proved to possess such great strength and skill…" Hou Yi glanced at Jiang Wei who seemed to be pretty pleased with what was happening. She threw a suspicious look at her friend, and she could have sworn he saw him wink at her. She wondered if he had said anything to his mentor to make him treat her kindly. Or so she thought.

"Quite 'demonic' I should say." Zhuge Liang finished. Hou Yi's optimism shattered even before it could be formed.

"Demonic?" Hou Yi repeated dully, expressing confusion on whether to think of it was a compliment or another of the Prime Minister's well-disguised mockeries.

"Well it is a surprise to see how many enemies you could slay single-handedly. A hundred? Alone? I dare say that that is rather a demonic display of brute strength." Just as soon as he caught a glimpse of a scowl on Zhang's face he immediately added, "Which is vital to the success of my strategies. And after careful deliberation, I have decided that you Zhang will be promoted as officer of the same rank as Jiang Wei."

_Promoted? _Hou Yi wasn't sure is she should already be rejoicing just yet. But there was one thing she was after.

"Does that mean… I'll be leading a regiment like Jiang Wei?" She saw a gleaming smile on Jiang Wei's face.

Zhuge Liang's lips curved into a thin smile.

"Certainly," Zhang felt overjoyed at the moment, and only for a moment it lasted when she had to hear the last part.

"…not." Jiang Wei looked shocked to hear his mentor deny Hou Yi the authority he had. It was not what he expected to hear from him.

Hou Yi sighed and said under her breath, "I knew it."

"Knew what, Zhang?" Zhuge Liang pretended not to notice her disappointment.

"Nothing Jiangjun. You sure have a good way of smashing optimism. Really brilliant."

Zhuge Liang simply returned her biting sarcasm with a smirk, annoying Hou Yi further. Hou Yi really was thankful for wearing a mask or she could have given Liang the pleasure to see her eyes rolling up in frustration.

"So I'm an officer. And I don't have troupes under me. Then what? Anything else?" Hou Yi was sure to hear jeers from the Shu soldiers when they learn about this. An officer without a regiment—how ridiculous could that get? It was like a king without a kingdom.

"Yes, there is something else," Zhuge Liang paused for effect. "I am appointing you as my bodyguard."

There was silence among them—only the common clamors of forging iron filled the empty air. Liang wanted his words to sink in to Hou Yi. It took seconds before Hou Yi realized what he had just said. She shot a glance at Jiang Wei, who was pretty shocked as well. _What the hell is the meaning of this, Jiang Wei??_

"Your bodyguard?!" she repeated his words, this time with a feeling of astonishment.

"Yes. My bodyguard. I thought the task would suit you perfectly." He said in a simple tone. "Your duty will begin starting tomorrow. Any questions?"

"I sure do." Hou Yi spat the words fearlessly. "Why me?"

"Simple, Zhang." He paused. He was looking at her intently. "Because I said so. Now, if you have any other questions, I will hear them later. I am a busy man, and the Wei forces are on their way. I must get back to my work." The Sleeping Dragon ended as he turned to leave. Jiang Wei was expressing the same confused expression that Hou Yi had.

"Wait a second! Can't I even decline this?"

Zhuge Liang shot an intimidating glance at her. "It surprises me that you would want to. This is quite a high position that I am giving you. Any normal soldier would accept such an offer."

_But you didn't even offer it to me in the first place—you were forcing it upon me._ Hou Yi thought.

"Then give it to them who'd beg on their knees for that job. I'm pretty contented with just being a regular member of the infantry." Hou Yi seemed to have forgotten what her defiance had brought her.

Then, she noticed Jiang Wei agitatedly mouthing words to her and discreetly shaking his head. He was telling her to yield. But it was clear that she could no longer escape the Sleeping Dragon's fangs.

"Then would you be contented as well with leaving my army now and be a regular peasant?" Zhuge Liang replied as he languidly motioned his fan towards her.

Hou Yi bit her lip.

"Fine. I'll take it."

Liang nodded his head, as if to conclude the discussion. "Consider yourself honored that I have personally come here to tell you about your promotion." He said before he finally left ahead of Jiang Wei.

"Thanks a lot." Zhang grumbled sarcastically.

Then, without warning, she lunged at Jiang Wei and forcefully grabbed him by the collar with an unusual power coming from a woman. Jiang Wei was startled by Hou Yi's violent approach.

"You bastard! What the hell did you tell him?" She growled. "And the nerve for you to be winking at me! I swear I will poke that eye of yours out of its socket if you won't start talking you moron!"

"I wasn't expecting what just happened awhile ago either Ho—I mean, Zhang! Let me explain first so let go of me!"

"You better do." She roughly released her grip. Jiang Wei felt like her temper matched the ferocious wolf carving on her mask perfectly.

"Look. I don't know what got into the Prime Minister alright? I put in a good word for you saying how you killed probably more than a hundred soldiers and what not. He seemed pleased and told me that he was interested in promoting you. I didn't know it would turn out this way." He said as he straightened the crumpled collar of his tunic.

"Goddamn. I'd rather use his body to shield myself from arrows than stand in his way to catch them for him."

"Zhang. He's testing you. Can't you see that?"

"Yes I know, but for what reason?" She snarled.

"Well, first of all, he wasn't given that liberty when one of our generals, Wei Yan, was accepted by Lord Liu Bei. And so we had to bear the consequences of putting up with his irritating cockiness and irrationality."

"So he's taking out his frustration on me? Well I'll kick his ass if that's the case!"

"No that's not what I meant!" Jiang Wei was getting weary of trying to explain himself. "Would you calm down first?"

Hou Yi took a deep breath and pursed her lips.

"What I meant was," he continued. "He didn't want the same thing to happen again. He's very cautious like that. Second, you're from the Wei army. I don't think he'd even trust you in the first place if I hadn't told him that I know you. And we're already in a crucial point in this war that we simply can't make too many mistakes or even make any at all. Any strategist would be distrustful of someone who claims himself an ally when he's coming from a mortal enemy's army."

"Then why did he trust you then?"

"He was the one who convinced me, Zhang. And I've long been interested in learning the ropes from him."

"And my nerd friend felt so honored?" She teased. Jiang Wei chuckled.

"Whatever, Zhang."

"Okay, what else?" Hou Yi asked, feeling much calmer.

"Lastly, you look suspicious with that conspicuous mask on."

"What's wrong with wearing a mask? If can get him one if he wants one." Hou Yi placed her fingers over her mask.

"Nothing's wrong with it. Except that it connotes something dark about you."

"Even politicians who aren't wearing masks have something dark about them! And what's scarier is that they don't even need masks to hide their true identities. The only reason why I'm wearing this is because I had to infiltrate the Wei army again."

"Then why not remove it now?" The question struck Hou Yi as she turned away from him to avoid his gaze. She almost felt like she was under the scrutinizing eyes of Zhuge Liang again.

"Because this has become my identity." Her voice had suddenly shifted to a somber tone.

"What are you talking about?"

"Women are considered weak, Jiang Wei. You and I know that. Men expect women to simply be naively submissive, sitting at home doing chores and working on their embroidery while taking care of their god-knows-how-many children they already have. With this on, I'll be doing none of that. I'm just that fearless warrior braving the battlefield."

"And besides," she added. "Everyone here knows me as 'the warrior with the scary wolf-mask'. Why bother removing it and introduce myself all over again?"

"But you're lying to yourself then."

"I've been doing that ever since." Hou Yi replied flatly. There was that scorn in her words.

"So you're going to wear that until this war ends?"

"Until I see Sima Yi fall that's what. I've decided that I won't be staying here all the way."

"Then you're just using this army?" Jiang Wei showed no disapproval at Hou Yi's actions. But he felt a slight tugging disappointment. She had become different. Very different. And he couldn't believe it. No, he had predicted that she would change, but not like this. He was standing before a vengeful woman, and for some reason he felt frightened by it.

He saw her place a steady gaze upon him. "Haven't you realized that by now?"

"No. Never. All along, I thought you just wanted to get away from Wei."

"Pshh," she snorted. "How I wish things were that uncomplicated."

"You're being selfish, Hou Yi." He was calling her by her real first name. He wanted to press upon her who she really was. "That's why you're making things complicated for yourself."

"Ever since that day when Sima Yi ordered Captain Li Xin to be beheaded for an alleged crime he _never_ committed…" Her voice was climbing up with emotion. "Everything I've done was selfish. You don't need to remind me about it."

"But it's been years, Hou Yi. Haven't you moved on?"

"I will. When I see Sima Yi's body decapitated."

Jiang Wei let out a sigh. He knew he could not convince her to let go.

"Do I still have your back?" Her chestnut orbs caught the rays of the sun and shone brilliantly. They were fixed upon him, hoping to see his approval. Jiang Wei nodded his head.

"Of course you do." Zhang smiled at hearing this. She loved her friend.

She let out a breath. As if to exhale all the somberness that has gripped her for that moment.

"Surprisingly, I feel a little excited about tomorrow." Hou Yi drove the serious topic away.

"What? I thought you didn't want to be his bodyguard?"

"Yes, but I feel excited." She said with a grin. "Like the feeling when you're on the edge of a cliff on the verge of jumping off and committing suicide."

Jiang Wei laughed. "You know the feeling?"

"No. But I think this is probably what that might feel like."

They both laughed.

"Maybe the Prime minister might soften up a little when he gets to know you better. Just try not to keep being defiant—even if you don't really have a liking for authority."

"You sure know me well, Jiang Wei."

Hou Yi was thankful for having him. He was her solely trusted friend who saw beyond the layers of masks she had put on her self.

She suddenly remembered Luo. He was bound to get mad if she told him that she forgot to ask the Prime Minister about his plans. But then, she told herself how she rather preferred an angry bear over a cruel dragon. Zhuge Liang was too unpredictable, and he had her wrapped around his finger.

She will serve him, yes. And she hoped that it will only be a short while.

Why am I making Zhuge Liang so cruel here…? [laughs] *Sigh* this is going to be fun. There'll be a lot of cursing coming from Hou Yi—she grew up with a lot trash talking in the streets after all. So if you don't like that… well… that's too bad. Haha.

Just one more ramble:

It's funny how I always stop at a 3,000-word minimum. I mean, I don't know why I can't find myself going up to 6000+ words [yes. I check.]. Maybe I'll try writing longer chapters next time. :)


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